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Africa: Call for participants: "Building African Women’s Movements"

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Just Associates via WUNRN

A Movement-Building Institute (November 19-22, 2007), Johannesburg

Just Associates (JASS), in partnership with Action Aid International and Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, (OSISA), is organizing a 4-day movement-building institute around Building African Women’s Movements. This institute is the first phase of a long-term process that aims to strengthen the leadership, strategies and collective power of African women living with and working on HIV/AIDS in order for their voices and demands to be visible and influential at all levels of decision-making.

This effort builds upon OSISA’s project on “Reinvigorating and Sustaining Vibrant Women’s Movements in Southern Africa” with Hivos and Women’s Law in Southern Africa, AAI’s pioneering efforts with women in HIV/AIDS – including the Women Won’t Wait campaign, recommendations from the African Feminist Forum (2006) and JASS’ multi-regional capacity-building effort, “Imagining and Rebuilding Women’s Movements for the Future.”

About the Institute

The Institute will take place in Johannesburg from November 19-22, 2007. During the workshop, participants will critically assess and learn about the last two decades of strategies on HIV/AIDs and women’s rights in the sub region and on the continent, analyse the current political landscape, take stock of women’s movements, the community of women living with HIV and the groups working on HIV, and define a long-term capacity-building strategy to strengthen their leadership, organising, communications and advocacy capacity. A second phase through 2008 will continue honing that strategy through mentoring, training, and planning, and gradually put it into action through advocacy, radio and video communications and more. As this institute is also part of JASS’ broader multi-regional and global movement-building effort which is underway in Mexico/Central America and South East Asia, participants will, over time, have opportunities to exchange experiences and network with activist women from Asia and Latin America.

Participant Profile

The first round of this Institute will include no more than 30 participants.

* We are looking for women who are living with or who have been engaged in HIV/AIDS activism for at least 3 years.
* We are looking for women working in a diverse range of activities (mobilisation, education, care, etc.) organisations and movements (trade unions, women’s organisations that work on HIV-AIDS, women’s rights groups as well as mixed organisations that work on HIV-AIDS, etc.) and at different levels (grassroots organising, community work, campaigning/ mobilising, community media, advocacy).
* Special consideration will be given to women under the age of 30, as we aim to ensure multigenerational dialogue and strategizing. We are especially looking for young women who are openly living with HIV and are members of national or local organisations or associations of people (or women) living with HIV and AIDS.
* Women from any of the following countries are eligible: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

1. Name and Surname:
2. Date of Birth:
3. Nationality:
4. Address:
5. Telephone and Fax:
6. Email address:
7. Organisational Affiliation:
8. Position:
9. Briefly describe your experience with HIV&AIDS and with women's issues.
10. What do you see as your greatest abilities and talents?
11. What would you like to get out of the movement-building project and how would this make a difference to your work, life and leadership potential?
12. Name some of the challenges that women in Africa face in addressing HIV&AIDS?
13. What does "movement-building" mean for you in relation to women and HIV/AIDS?
14. Please also include information about the organization or project with which you are currently involved.
15. Include a letter from the head of your organization supporting your participation in this institute and any follow-up activities that may emanate from this institute.